[A long time ago]

     “Psst,” a girl called for the attention of a short haired brunette on her left. The whole room was dark and the noise coming from the speakers filtered her sound. To add, she was seated at the far end of the room with a chair between the girl and her so she had to keep her voice down yet at the same time audible for the latter to hear. “Hey. Hey, shorty.” She called again, throwing a paper to the girl.

     The latter was scribbling on her pad when a crumpled paper fell in front of her. She turned her head to the assailant with furrowed eyebrows, only to see the stupid looking grin coming from her while her index finger pointed at the paper while mouthing “paper”. She glanced back at the paper on the table and back to the latter.

     Opening the paper, she saw a doodle of the teacher in a way it looked cranky while teaching. The girl felt like bursting out a laugh but chose not to. They kept their laughs to themselves – trying not to make a sound that would disrupt the film playing on screen.

     The lights turned back on, and their laughs stopped. “That’s for today’s film. This Friday will be the start of our casting for our play based on The Book of Life so don’t slack off. That would be your final output for this quarter.” The teacher said before he ended the class.

     The school bell rang and the corridors echoed with the sound of students going out of their respective rooms for lunch.

     “Hey, Chaeyoung!” One of the students called.

     Chaeyoung turned her head and only to meet crumpled papers landing on her face and body, followed by a kick of the trash bin which trashed her area. She saw a tall girl in front of her with three more behind her back, which includes the girl whom she was laughing with not long ago.

     “Make sure to throw them away before you get out. It would be bad if the next teacher will catch you littering around.” The assailant said, pouting with a sarcastic sense of pity.

     “Alright. That’s enough Somi—you guys.” The girl, who called Chaeyoung during the film, said – pushing the others to the door. “We are going to lunch. Leave Chaeyoung—for now.”

     “Where’s the fun in that, Mina? You threw a paper to her during the movie, why can’t we? We want to have some fun as well..” Natty, one of Mina’s goons, added.

     “What is going on here?” A teacher, wearing a pair of black slacks, a white button up blouse, and a black blazer hanging on her shoulders, came in the room. She saw the garbage on the floor and the students still in the room.

     “Students, we don’t litter in the school grounds.” The teacher said. The girls snickered while facing Chaeyoung. “But since Somi, Mina, Chaeryoung, and Natty doesn’t look interested in helping Chaeyoung, you girls will be picking out those trash. I have class in this room so better start now before I get back.” She then left after a teacher called for her.

     They bowed to her, “Yes, Miss Momo!”

     The girls no longer further bully Chaeyoung and began to clean the room. Though there were small attempts of harassments like bumping her shoulders on purpose, making her trip, and throwing out the trash she just picked up.

     Chaeyoung didn’t bother fighting back and focused on her work. She wanted to leave the room as soon as possible. Mina went beside her and whispered while helping her out, “I’m sorry.”

     Chaeyoung didn’t say anything. Her hand reached for the crumpled paper near Mina’s hand. Instead of picking it right up, her pinkie finger touched Mina’s and locked them.

     “It’s fine,” Chaeyoung said in a low tone, hiding her face from the latter.

     After cleaning they went out of the door with their complaints in the air. Mina glanced back at Chaeyoung who was fixing her bag.

     “Meet me at the Art Room after the end of the lunch bell.” Mina said before finally heading out.

     “And here I thought they are bullying you again,” Momo appeared after Mina left. “Is it true, Chaeyoung? I heard such rumours in the bathroom. Though their words are not exactly saying that they do but the point is everyone seems to notice.”

     Chaeyoung shook her head as a no. “Mina’s friends are… just showing their strange way of being friendly.”

     “Uhuh. You cannot lie to your sister, you know that.”

     Chaeyoung wore her bag on her shoulders. “I’m heading home. I don’t have class in the afternoon so don’t wait for me, Miss Momo.”

     Momo sighed. “Alright. See you at home. I want pork for dinner.”

     Chaeyoung said that she was heading home, but the route she was taking wasn’t to the exit but towards where the art room is located. She knocked three times before coming in – there was no one around. She pulled a chair and sat on it while she rummaged her bag for her boxed lunch.

     The art room was always been Chaeyoung’s sanctuary, and she doesn’t want Mina’s group of friends to know about it. Her love for art made it possible for her to stay inside and practice her skills.

     Not long she took a bite of her food, the door slide open. “Why is the weather hot today?” Mina went in, complaining about the weather. She placed her bag on an empty chair and sat on Chaeyoung’s table – crossing her legs while facing her.

     “That was fast—you’re here early.”

     Mina sighed, “Somi and the others wanted to go to the KTV bar. I am not in the mood to sing, plus I told you about meeting here… so…”

     Chaeyoung noticed Mina swirling the tip of her hair. Whenever Mina is embarrassed, or she is nervous of something, she would tend to play the tip of her hair as her defence mechanism.

     Mina cleared . “Anyway,” she leaned towards Chaeyoung. “I’m hungry.”

     “Then buy something in the cafeteria.”

     “But I want yours!”

     Chaeyoung lowered her chopsticks. Mina’s eyebrows were meeting each other while her lips formed a pout – demanding Chaeyoung to share her lunch. “You want me to feed you?” Mina’s eyes beamed, and nodded. “You’re unbelievable.” Chaeyoung picked an omelette from her box and fed it to Mina.

     “Don’t you have a lunch box of your own? Something made by your personal chef or maid.” Chaeyoung gave Mina another piece.

     Mina replied, munching her food, “I gave it to Somi. I don’t like what they make for me. I prefer yours.”

     Lunch was always like that – Mina having a taste of Chaeyoung’s. Noticing Mina’s taking a liking of her food, she tried to make a lunch box for her but she declined and ate on Chaeyoung’s instead. With that, Chaeyoung, who eats less, makes her lunch with large portions so that Mina can have her share.

     “I have nothing to do!” Mina complained, laying down on top of the table.

     “Then why don’t you help me finish my art work?” Chaeyoung suggested, finishing her lunch. She placed her boxed lunch back in her bag, “It’s almost the due date for the contest.”

     “Huh?! You want me to paint and sketch? That is not a good practice for a person like me, shorty.”

     “What—a bully can’t love art now? I thought all rich girls had an expensive education, which include art as one of their practices.”

     “That’s stereotyping!” Mina exclaimed. “Though you are right about us having an expensive education.”

     Chaeyoung wore her apron, and raised a thinner and a bucket of paint towards Mina. “Great! Get to it.”

     Myoui Mina is known in the whole school as the girl who was born with a golden spoon. Her acolytes – Somi, Chaeryoung, and Natty – who all came from money eating businesses, rule the campus grounds. They don’t square up trouble – no they don’t, not unless Mina initiated first then they will follow. Unfortunately, for Chaeyoung, she turned out to be Mina’s first victim and now she cannot avoid being harassed. If Chaeyoung will report their harassments, Mina’s group isn’t the only enemy Chaeyoung is fighting against on, their money as well. Chaeyoung isn’t from a well-of family, while Mina’s goons have all the money they can have just to bail themselves out of the trouble, so she didn’t bother. They won’t harass her unless Mina initiated first, which is a good thing instead of any other bullies out there who’ll hurt others without any reason.

     “Hey, doesn’t this moment look familiar to you?” Chaeyoung asked, while adding final sketches.

     Mina, who was sitting across Chaeyoung, asked in confusion while arranging the paint for Chaeyoung, “What the hell are you talking about?”

     “The second month of 9th grade in high school—last year?” Chaeyoung replied. “You know, when you poured a thinner on my uniform?”

     —Back in 9th grade, Chaeyoung was a new student. She was a scholar. Her talents in any field of the arts gained favour from the teachers. The moment Mina saw her enter class, she couldn’t keep her eyes away from the girl.

     Chaeyoung captivated Mina’s heart and Mina hated it since she feels an annoying warmth in her chest from every little thing Chaeyoung does.

     “That newbie looks so fragile.” Natty said.

     “Yeah. It feels like if I will hold her hand I can cut it with just a grip.” Somi added. “What do you think, Mina?”

     Mina wasn’t even listening to their conversation. She was too focused on looking at the short girl sketching while sitting on her table. A classmate approached her and said something that made Chaeyoung smile.

     Seeing her smile, Mina felt her knees unnerved and she felt a strong gravity pulling her chest down.

     How annoying! Mina said to herself, looking away while covering her flustered face.

     “Mina?”

     “That shorty is getting on my nerves.” Mina spat. She clenched her fist with a taunting grin, “Do you think she cries easily?”

     Mina was only glaring and looking down on Chaeyoung whenever their eyes met. Sometimes, she intentionally hit her shoulders whenever she sees her carrying something big for her size. Her acolytes seeing her actions, they too began to follow her and harass the innocent victim.

     Until one day…

     Mina was contemplating while she lay on her bed. “What’s gotten into you Mina? She didn’t do anything wrong. Now the others are bullying her as well.” She turned her body to the side. “That’s it! Tomorrow, I will ask for forgiveness. Explain everything to her. Ask her to be my friend. No time to chicken out.”

     After class, Mina was called by her classmate, Sana. “Mina, can I ask you to give Chaeyoung the extra bottles of thinner in the faculty room to the art room? There’s a sudden meeting for the teachers and Miss Momo asked me to assist her. The remaining teachers in the room knows about the thinners.”

     Yes! This is my chance! Mina exclaimed, running to the faculty room.

     Arriving in front of the art room with cans of thinners on hand, Mina took a deep breath and exhaled before knocking. She slides the door and she saw Chaeyoung with Momo. She saw Chaeyoung’s face in red – embarrassed on something Momo said, or did.

     Momo was close to Chaeyoung face when Mina saw them, and thoughts began to bombard her head.

     “Ah, too bad someone is here. Then, excuse me, Chaeyoung. Let’s continue where we left off later.” Momo passed Mina while looking down on her with a smirk.

     It annoyed Mina.

     “A-are those the thinners? You can put them in the table.” Chaeyoung said, still in red.

     What did they do while they’re the only ones here? And what the hell was that smirk coming from Miss Momo? Mina questioned. For this shorty to blush like this… don’t tell me…  

     “By the way, thank you for bringing them here. It’s supposed to be my job but Miss Momo suddenly asked me if she can meet me.” Chaeyoung smiled again.

     Chaeyoung’s smile affected Mina in a way she couldn’t understand. She hated the unknown feeling and wanted it to disappear but she doesn’t know how.

     “Hey,” Chaeyoung faced Mina. Suddenly, her uniform was wet with liquid. Mina poured a whole bottle of thinner on her uniform. The timing was just right when Mina’s goons saw them. “You are an eyesore. Get the hell out of my sight, shorty.”

     —Chaeyoung ended, “Honestly, Mina, that was the lamest way for you to say “Hi, let’s be friends” when you can literally just tell me that.”

     Mina’s face was covered in red. “Who s